#SaturdayShortStory: Anoushka By Nadia B

Anoushka

By nadia b

How she loved being in this city. It was not the city of her birth but it was the city of her life. She felt at once, the peace and the chaos it offered… giving her choices of how she wanted to play out every day of her life.

Anoushka loved the resplendent orange trees, flowering at this time of year. It gave the city some relief and the sight of them was a balm to her heart. For, once again she was alone. It seemed to be a recurring theme with her – to be with someone intensely, and then to be in a seemingly new life. With nothing from the past visiting her...She often wondered about this and she wondered when this pattern would change

Ziva had insisted she come over for dinner and truth be told, Anoushka was looking forward to it. After a while of being in this city, she felt the need to meet people, to have interesting conversations… and Ziva always threw fun dinners.

Ziva’s home in a multi storied building with a glass façade was stunning. An expensive home but much care had gone into it, so the obviousness of the wealth did not grate. Artefacts that had been collected from all from all over the world dotted every nook and cranny. Ziva travelled constantly for work and pleasure and was a beautiful gypsy, living life to the fullest.

Anoushka was intentionally early to arrive for dinner that evening. She liked it that way. It gave her some time to catch up with Ziva. She settled herself onto the deep stone grey coloured sofa, and sipping a full bodied red wine, she heard all about Ziva's adventures   

The doorbell rang and Ziva casually said, it must be Aidan.

His was a name Anoushka had heard often.  And always the same story that he had told someone he knew her. That they had been in University at the same time, though she had been older by a few years. And they all asked her tentatively, do you know Aidan, he remembers you from university. But she didn’t remember him at all.

So, it seems, she would finally get to meet him. She glanced at the dining table, it was in the line of sight to the front door.. She noticed that it was set for four and this flustered her... before she could think further, the door opened. Aidan walked in

What a gorgeous man he was. Olive skinned with a glint in his eyes, wearing an open buttoned white linen shirt with frayed denim jeans. Ziva flung herself into his arms and he twirled her around. When he put her down Ziva introduced him to Anoushka. There was an instant connection that both of them felt. Her stomach tightened.  I know you he said, eyes twinkling. Anoushka decided to pretend that no one had ever asked her about him. In any case, it was an odd thing to say in a first conversation. She looked at him, with a question mark in her eyes and he told her they had been in University at the same time. You must have been much younger she replied impishly. The three of them laughed.

The doorbell rang once more it was Kieran. Ziva’s much older, on – off partner. Anoushka adored him and was happy to see him as it had been ages since they had met.  She noticed Kieran looked disturbed. He took Ziva aside and whispered something to her. They left the room leaving Aidan and Anoushka alone.

So, here they were. Aidan and Anoushka. Aidan couldn’t believe it. He had loved her without knowing her, for many years. Always held her up as the ideal. It was those years in University that had done this to him. She was a star during her time there. Taking on all causes. Organising demonstrations. Saving the Environment, saving the seals, championing the refugee story. He could not get enough of her as a bystander then. And oddly he had kept her with him since. Now here she was, in front of him looking stunningly beautiful. Her grey shift dress that gently hugged her body. She wore it with an organza indigo overlay and grey slippers. He looked at her longingly. Let this time last, he thought fervently to himself.

Anoushka watched him while he was at the bar fixing her a drink.. He seemed to be preoccupied, uncertain. And she knew it had something to do with her. Her heart beat faster. She couldn’t put her finger on it, they had just met and yet he looked at her and spoke to her as if he knew her. It was all a bit strange. Maybe they had met at University, but she couldn’t remember?

He came and sat down beside her. She asked him if in fact they had known each other at University. He said they hadn’t but added nonchalantly that she had been his all time love and she had ruined him for anyone else. There was an awkward silence. The glint in his eyes was gone replaced by deep dark embers piercing her soul. Anoushka laughed uncomfortably and deftly changed the topic.

He realised that he needed to tread carefully or she would scare easily. At this point Kieran and Ziva came back in, looking happy. Whatever had disturbed him seemed to have gone away...Kieran changed the music to familiar hits of their time and announced that it was time to dance. He whisked Anoushka off her feet. Ziva and Aidan joined them. Anoushka loved dancing and Kieran was a great partner.

Suddenly, Kieran and Aidan changed places and at that exact moment, a slow number came on.  Aidan gently pulled Anoushka towards him, he couldn’t help himself and the soft music allowed for it, she melted into his arms and she knew, as did he, that this was the beginning of their story.